1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic material consisting essentially of a quasicrystalline phase and applicable to various applications, such as magnetic recording heads, and a process for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an Al--Mn-based alloy, since the discovery of a novel alloy having a crystalline structure with a five- or tenfold symmetry, the so-called "quasicrystal", many studies have been made on the quasicrystalline alloy as a novel material for the purpose of determining the composition of the material, structural analysis and elucidation of fundamental physical properties. Among the quasicrystalline alloys, an Al40%--Cu10%--Mn25%--Ge25% (at. %) alloy has been found to have a relatively high coercive force (see A. P. Tsai et al., Jpn. Appl. Phys., 27 &lt;1988&gt;L2252). Further, it has been reported that an AlMnSi-based alloy has a ferromagnetism (see R. A. Dunlap et al., Phys. Rev. B., 39 &lt;1989&gt;, 4808).
The intensity of magnetization of the above-described alloys is so low even at room temperature that, in order to put these alloys to practical use as a magnetic material, it is necessary to improve the intensity of magnetization. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the magnetic properties of Al-based quasicrystalline alloys.